Narrow Defeat for Dublin Senior Footballers against Armagh

DUBLIN 1-25 

ARMAGH 2-24

Dublin were caught in the final quarter when succumbing to Armagh by two points in their thrilling Allianz National Football League Division 1 encounter at Croke Park on Saturday evening. 

The Dubs led by nine points at the break but their efforts suffered after the break with Oisín Conaty scoring the pivotal goal for Armagh with five minutes remaining. 

Dublin will now enter Round 7 next Sunday needing a win over Galway in Salthill to keep their survival ambitions intact.  

A free inside sixty seconds by Niall Scully set the tone of early Dublin dominance as the Templeogue Synge Street player doubled his account in an instant with a facile point from play. 

Tomás McCormack halved the Armagh deficit in the 3rd minute but it proved an isolated moment of encouragement for the visitors as the influential Scully clipped over his third point in as many minutes. 

From the resultant kick-out, the hosts seized possession of Blaine Hughes’ misjudged restart, with McGarry’s shot from eight yards pushing his team five points clear. 

Further scores by Killian McGinnis and Scully were just reward for Dublin’s initial enterprise and while Ben Creally replied in the 10th minute for Armagh, Paddy Small and Luke Breathnach ensured their control was maintained towards the end of the first quarter. 

A Callum O’Neill free and McCormack’s second point saw Armagh close the gap and the visitors gained further momentum in the 21st minute as McConville slalomed his way through from the right flank before placing a calm finish past Hugh O’Sullivan. 

Jason Duffy’s point soon after saw Dublin’s lead reduced to three points but with Breathnach catching the eye at corner-forward, the hosts regained control on the scoreboard with points by Small, Sean Bugler and a Breathnach brace. 

There was sufficient time on the clock for Small to clip his third point of the half and the Dubs pushed nine points clear by the interval as Bugler nonchalantly kicked the contest’s first two-pointer on the buzzer. 

Armagh’s cause was not helped by a black card received by Jarly Óg Burns at the start of the second-half following an altercation heading down the tunnel at half-time as the Dublin stretched their lead courtesy of Scully and Bugler.  

However, the visitors slowly but surely began to eat into their deficit with Oisin O’Neill’s two-pointed free sandwiched by an Oisín Conaty brace. 

Despite those concessions, Dublin continued to carry a threat at the opposite end as McGinnis kicked two fine scores while Small burst through to leave six points between the sides by the end of the third quarter. 

However, with Dublin visibly flagging, the visitors seized control at midfield and with McConville, O’Neill, Conor Turbitt and Ross McQuillan all on target, they levelled matters by the 64th minute. 

Conaty’s goal within a minute was worthy of winning any contest, as he crashed home past O’Sullivan, leaving both sides looking over their shoulders ahead of the final round of fixtures next Sunday.  

Scorers – Dublin: P Small 0-6 (1 P2); N Scully 0-5 (2f); L Breathnach, S Bugler (1 P2) 0-4 each; R McGarry 1-0; K McGinnis 0-3; E Kennedy 0-2, C Costello 0-1. Armagh: O Conaty, C McConville (2f) 1-3 each; O O’Neill 0-5 (3f, 1 F2); T McCormack, C Turbitt (1 P2), R McQuillan 0-3 each; J Duffy 0-2; C O’Neill (f), B Crealey 0-1 apiece. 

Dublin: H O’Sullivan; E Murchan, N Doran, D Byrne; A Gavin, B Howard, E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, C McMorrow; N Scully, S Bugler, R McGarry; P Small, K McGinnis, L Breathnach. Subs: S MacMahon for Doran (16), C Costello for Breathnach (47), C Kilkenny for McGarry (51), Doran for MacMahon (52), L Smith for Byrne (65). 

Armagh: B Hughes; T McCormack, G Murphy, P McGrane; D McMullan, T Kelly, J Óg Burns; C O’Neill, B Crealey; J Duffy, A McKay, G McCabe; C McConville, R McQuillan, O Conaty. Subs: O O’Neill for C O’Neill (half-time), P Burns for McKay (Temp 43-45), C Turbitt for Duffy (52), P Burns for McKay (60), A Forker for McMullan (69). 

Referee: David Gough (Meath).